Keith Koffler: The FishbowlDC Interview

What’s the name of your cell phone ring? Flight of the Bumble Bee. Maximum annoyance.

What time did you get up this morning? 6:15 am

When did you last cry and why? When I found out there would be no bathroom in the basement section of the new White House workspace, where my desk is.

How many emails do you receive a day, roughly? 150

What’s your favorite letter? Lincoln to Grant, July 13, 1863. It ends, “you were right, and I was wrong.” When was the last time you heard a politician say that? Or a journalist on talk show, for that matter? And he said it just over a year before the election. And only weeks before the Ames Straw poll.

What single person played the biggest role / had the biggest influence on your journalism career? Edward Hallowell, high school English teacher. Gave me the unfortunate news that I’d be better at writing than making money.